This Week's 'Lost': Some Answers, More Questions

By Suzanne Merkelson

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ABC

First of all, can we all just note that the song "Catch a Falling Star" will forever be ruined for anyone who saw this week's episode of Lost? The song played softly yet insistently in the background as we watched one of the creepiest scenes in the history of the show—our favorite characters emerging from a moment of horrific bloodshed with self-satisfied and somewhat spacey hints of smiles...

But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? Because the episode was all about Sayid (who wears all black! And is kind of dead. So he must—according to new show logic—be on team Evil).

Sayid's Flash-Sideways self is a doting uncle, dutiful brother, and jealous brother-in-law...you would be too if your bro married your girl. And yet again, he finds himself in a sufficiently ambiguous situation that compels him to murder for what seem to be completely justified reasons.

Yet while Flash-Sideways Sayid is sufficiently shades of gray, Real-Time Sayid becomes increasingly one-sided, going from arguing with Dogen that he had more good than evil in him to obeying the orders of "evil incarnate" (the Man in Black, according to Dogen). His choices eventually lead to the plot-shifting final scene, where key choices are made and battle lines are solidified.

Scales and judgment and black versus white were all big themes again this week. And the characters are finally only starting to figure out what viewers have known for seasons: they were brought to the island for a reason, they're all somehow connected. That makes each revelation that much less revelatory. Are they really going to be divided into good and evil, black and white, Jack and Locke, Jacob and Man in Black (won't they just give him a name already?)? Or will we find out Lost, as it has been in the past five seasons, does an accurate job of accurately expressing human nuances, even while it is forever more farfetched?

Did ya see that? Moment of the week: The kitchen where Flash-Sideways Sayid kills Martin Keamy is the same one where Naomi recruits Miles for the Kahana in Season Five.

Utterly far-fetched theory that I hope is proven true: The Flash-Sideways timeline? That's what the Man in Black is offering the main characters when he says they can have whatever they want...Claire keeps Aaron, Kate is free, and Sayid gets to see his love, Nadia, live.

Props of the Week Go To: Claire. Still badass and creepy, Emilie de Ravin reveals that she is an unbelievably more versatile actor than she ever was in the first few seasons. When Kate comes to "rescue" her from The Hole, Claire replies, "I'm not the one who needs rescuing."